The structural problem these programs solve is the contingent offer. If you have to sell before you buy, your next purchase offer has a contingency that stronger buyers don't, and in a competitive market you lose the house. Trade-up programs remove that contingency by funding your new purchase in cash; you list the old home afterward.
Pure bridge — the program extends a short-term loan against your departing-home equity so you can buy the next house in cash. You list and sell the old one normally. Knock Bridge Loan (the current B2B successor to the retired Home Swap product) works this way.
Two-stage close — the program buys your departing home, then sells it back to you after closing on the new one. This is Homeward's default structure. Tax and title implications vary by state.
Cash-offer trade-up — the program makes the cash offer on the new home in its own name, then assigns the contract to you at your mortgage closing. Flyhomes uses this structure; current analogues include Calque (The Trade-In Mortgage) and HomeLight Buy Before You Sell.
| Program | Structure | Primary fee | States | Rating | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Homeward | Two-stage close | 7% of purchase price (min. $17,500) | 12 | 6.4 | Review |
| Knock Bridge Loan (B2B via lenders/agents) | Bridge loan + listing | 1.25% + bridge interest | 14 | 6.0 | Review |
| Flyhomes Cash Offer (footprint varies) | Assigned purchase contract | ~2% + closing costs | Select markets | 5.7 | Review pending |
| Orchard Move First (wound down 2023; Orchard now operates Orchard Financing) | Line-of-credit bridge (historical) | 6% + 2.75% | 5 | 5.9 | Review |
Flyhomes wound down its consumer cash-offer program in 2023 and re-entered select markets later; the current footprint varies by market. Orchard Move First is shown for historical context — it wound down in 2023 and Orchard now operates through lender/agent partners as Orchard Financing.
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